Flag staff and socket therefor



Oct. 5, 1965 H. J. THOMSEN 3,209,722

FLAG STAFF AND SOCKET THEREFOR Filed NOV. 29, 1965 INVENTOR //awdr/j 7%07776677.

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United States Patent 3,209,722 FLAG STAFF AND SOCKET THEREFOR Howard J. Thomson, 650 Ardmoor Drive, Birmingham, Mich. Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 326,977 6 Claims. (Cl. 116-173) This invention relates to flag staffs, and particularly to a flag staff having locking engagement with a supporting bracket from which it is removable.

Difficulty has already been experienced with small flag staffs which are usually made of wood and removably su ported in a cup-like bracket. When employed on a boat the jarring of the support loosens the flag staff from which it will fall and oftentimes land in the water and be lost. When made of wood, such flag staffs require varnishing and other upkeep on the boat.

The present invention pertains to a flag staff which is made of wire or rod material having the supporting end reversely bent to form a spring clamp which extends Within an elongated socket to keep the staff from turning. The socket has a notch into which an outwardly extending U-shaped bent portion extends for locking of the staff in the bracket. The bracket has supporting flanges by which it is secured to a mast, a base plate or any other supporting element. The spacing of the reversely bent portion from the staff portion is sufficient to permit the U-shaped projection in the reversely bent section to be released from the notch when the portions are moved together. The upper end of the rod has an eye formed thereon and an eye is formed intermediate of the staff ends, spaced a sufficient distance from the eye at the end so as to be connected to the grommets in a burgee or other type of flag which is to be supported thereby. By moving the reversely bent portion toward the staff, the staff will be unlocked from the socket and removed therefrom. It is only necessary to slide the reversed bent end portion into the socket until it is locked therein by the extension of the projection into the aperture thereof to securely lock the staff therewithin.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to form a flag staff from wire having a straight portion with a pair of spaced loops at one end and having a reversely bent portion at the opposite supported end which is insertable into an elongated socket and locked therein by a loop in the wire which extends into a notch in the socket, to form an elongated socket for a U-shaped supporting end of a spring wire element which has an extending end portion which forms a lever by which the U-shaped portion is collapsed, releasing the supporting end from the socket; to provide an elongated sheet metal socket having a notch for receiving a projection on the supporting end of a staff which is released therefrom by a lever extension on the supporting end, and in general to provide a socket and a removable element supported thereby which is simple in construction, positive in operation and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of a mast of a boat on which a flag staff and socket of the present invention is secured;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the socket and a portion of the flag illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4, showing another form of the invention.

3,299,722 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 The flag staff of the present invention embodies a length of spring wire 10 having an end loop 11 and an intermediate loop 12 forming eyes to which the grommets of a flag or burgee 13 are secured. The eyes 11, 12 are spaced apart a distance equal to or greater than the space between the grommets so that the releasable rings or other type of securing elements will hold the binding strip between the grommets stretched therebetween.

At the opposite end of the straight section from that containing the eye 11, a reversely bent section 14 forms a spring finger of a U-shaped supporting end which is insertable in a rectangular socket 15 formed from a sheet of material 16. The sheet material is spotwelded or otherwise secured at the mating flanges 17 below the reversely bent portion 18 which forms the socket 15, attaching flanges 19 extend from the flanges 17 and are of arcuate shape to mate with a round, oval or arcuate mast or other element to which they are secured by screws 21 extending through apertures 22 as illustrated in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the securing flanges 23 extend from the flanges 17 and are disposed in the same plane having the apertures 22 therein by which the socket is secured to a flat surface.

The reversely bent section 14 has an outwardly extending U-shaped portion 24 which functions as a locking detent when projecting outward through a notch 25 in the outer wall 18 of the socket as clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. This securely locks the supporting end of the staff in the socket from which it is readily moved by pressing on an end lever section 20 and moving it toward the straight section 10. This moves the detent 24 from the notch 25 and permits the staff to be removed from the socket. The section 14 is spaced from the straight section 10 of the shaft and the socket 15 is elongated to prevent the staff from turning in the socket to thereby retain the flag or burgee in rearward extension of the staff. In FIG. 1 it would be noted that the mast 26 is disposed at an angle to the horizon and that the straight section 10 of the shaft is bent from the supporting end section 27 thereof to have the straight portion thereabove extend upwardly in vertical position. By bending the staff to conform to the angular position of the socket, the straight section thereof will always remain in a vertical position with the flag disposed rearwardly on the center line of the boat when the mast 26 is located centrally thereof. With this arrangement, the flag or burgee is readily removed for storing and is set in place by inserting the supporting end in the socket 15. It is to be understood that the wire or rod forming the staff may be painted, coated or plated for weather protection and appearance. The same surface treatment may be applied to the sheet ma terial 16 when made of metal.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a flag staff and a socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a main section therebetween, an eye at the upper section, a reversibly bent U-shaped end at the lower section with the free end extending angularly therefrom to form a lever, an elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section which receives the reversely bent U-shaped end, and an outwardly bent portion in the portion of the U-shaped end having the lever which forms a detent and said socket having a notch therein for receiving said detent for locking the said U-shaped end therewithin, said staff being bent in the area between the U-shaped end and said main section to a degree relative to the position of the socket so as to have the main section disposed in a desired position.

2. The combination of a flag staff and a socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a main section therebetween, an eye at the upper section, a reversely bent U-shaped end at the lower section, and an elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section having a pair of extending securing flanges, said socket containing a notch and said reversely bent U-shaped section having an offset portion forming a detent which is received in said notch when the U-shaped end is inserted within said socket to be securely locked therein.

3. The combination of a flag staff and a socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a main section therebetween, an eye at the upper section, a reversely bent U-shaped end at the lower section, an elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section having a pair of extending securing flanges, said socket containing a notch and said reversely bent U-shaped section having an offset portion forming a detent which is received in said notch when the U-shaped end is inserted within said socket to be securely locked therein, and an eye in said main section aligned with the eye in said upper section.

4. The combination of a flag staff and socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a midsection therebetween, a reversely bent U-shaped end at the lower section having an outwardly extending U-shaped portion forming a detent, and an elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section for snugly receiving the U-shaped end, said socket having a notch therein for receiving said detent which moves therein and secures the U-shaped section in firm fixed relation thereto.

5. The combination of a flag staff and socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a midsection therebetween, a reversely bent U-shaped end at the lower section having an outwardly extending U-shaped portion forming a detent, and an r LOUIS J. CAPOZI,

4 elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section for snugly receiving the U-shaped end, said socket having a notch therein for receiving said detent which moves therein and secures the U-shaped section in firm fixed relation thereto, said socket being formed from a sheet of metal with securing flanges extending therefrom.

6. The combination of a flag staff and socket, of a spring wire forming the staff having an upper and lower section and a midsection therebetween, a reversely bent U-shaped end at the lower section having an outwardly extending U-shaped portion forming a detent, and an elongated socket of narrow rectangular cross section for snugly receiving the U-shaped end, said socket having a notch therein for receiving said detent which moves therein and secures the U-shaped section in firm fixed relation thereto, said upper and main sections having securing eyes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 480,791 8/92 Traut 2423 812,661 2/06 Luckhaupt 24230 889,230 6/08 Hoffman 24-230 1,069,776 8/ 13 Foulis 116-174 1,204,227 11/16 Young 24-230 1,296,866 3/19 Skretting 116-173 1,739,915 12/29 Sanders 116-173 1,995,574 3/35 Metz 248-2265 2,333,302 11/43 Enk -10 X 2,342,017 2/44 Shepherd 116-173 3,023,725 3/62 Boyd 116-173 3,051,952 8/62 Pifer 24-230 Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A FLAG STAFF AND A SOCKET, OF A STORING WIRE FORMING THE STAFF HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER SECTION AND A MAIN SECTION THEREBETWEEN, AN EYE AT THE UPPER SECTION, A REVERSIBLY BENT U-SHAPED END AT THE LOWER SECTION WITH THE FREE END EXTENDING ANGULARLY THEREFROM TO FORM A LEVER, AN ELONGATED SOCKET OF NARROW RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION WHICH RECEIVES THE REVERSELY BENT U-SHAPED END, AND AN OUTWARDLY BENT PORTION IN THE PORTION OF THE U-SHAPED END HAVING THE LEVER WHICH FORMS A DETENT AND SAID SOCKET HAVING A NOTCH THEREIN FOR RECEIVING SAID DETENT FOR LOCKING THE SAID U-SHAPED END THEREWITHIN, SAID STAFF BEING BENT IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE U-SHAPED END AND SAID MAIN SECTION TO A DEGREE RELATIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE SOCKET SO AS TO HAVE THE MAIN SECTION DISPOSED IN A DESIRED POSITION. 